1,460

Monday, June 8th marks four years since I have graduated from high school. One thousand, four hundred and sixty days ago I walked across the stage in my cap and gown and received my high school diploma.

When I look back on the past four years, I am reminded of how much not only my life has changed, but how much the world around me has. In the past four years; technology has evolved, unfathomable tragedy has occurred, and the paths for my life have altered.

Four years ago, MySpace was the social media outlet everyone was using. Facebook had just been altered to allow people other than college students to become its newest users. Now I have a folder on my iPhone dedicated to social media. The folder contains seven social media outlets: Foursquare, Snapchat, Vine, Path, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. In four years, our ability to connect with one another has altered the way we communicate. No wonder people are always on their phones while at the movies or dinner.  

Being away from home over the past four years has exposed me to a lot of tragedy. Our world is not perfect and I’ve learned over the past 1,460 days that tomorrow is not promised. Tragedy can occur at anytime and no one is immune to being exposed to the bad things that transpire.

I cannot talk about tragedy without bringing up the number of shootings our country has seen over the past four years. From Fort Hood to Tucson, to the most recent shootings in Aurora, Colorado and Newtown, Connecticut. Watching the aftermath of these shootings unfold, especially Newtown, exposed me to the evil that is still very present in our world. Watching the news coverage on Newtown was especially hard with the shooting taking place 11 days before Christmas. Twenty children did not come home from school on December 14, 2012. Twenty children never got to open the presents under the Christmas tree.

During April and May of this year, two tragedies occurred, the Boston Marathon bombings and the Moore tornado. I remember September 11th vividly and hoped to never see an act of evil like that ever again. But on April 15, 2013 two bombs went off at the Boston marathon killing three and injuring over 200. Americans grieved the attack on one of its most beloved cities, while compassionately coming together as a nation once again. Tragedy hit close to home on May 20, 2013 when an F-5 tornado ripped through the city of Moore. Oklahomans lost everything and still maintained a humble spirit. Oklahomans showed the world that materialistic possessions do not define the love we have for one another. While tragedy may be gone for now, it will soon return, however I think Kid President said it best, “There will always be more awesome than awful. Always.”

Walking across that stage four years ago, I never would have thought I would be majoring in Public Relations. I discovered my strengths are not math or science, but in the field of writing and communication. I never thought I would not want to move back to Texas after college graduation, but now I’m looking for careers in Oklahoma City, Denver, Nashville, and Chicago. Friendships back home have altered and faded away, while the friendships I’ve made in college have been life changing. Two of my family members have beat cancer and I’ve lost the dog I grew up with. Materialistic things are no longer a priority. And I have completely fallen in love with the people from Oklahoma. Just about every aspect of my life has changed since 2009. The only consistent elements have been OU not winning a national championship and Grey’s Anatomy still providing me inspiration on how to go about life. So while the past four years have been full of ups and downs, I sure am thankful for both. The bad and the good have helped shaped me into the woman I think I secretly wanted to be four years ago.